PAP MPs hold first post-election Meet-the-People session
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 09 May 2011 2225 hrs
SINGAPORE: The election is over and it is back to work for those elected. Several veteran and new PAP MPs held their first Meet-the-People session on Monday evening.
At the Joo Chiat single ward, MP Charles Chong saw only about 10 residents, compared to an average of 40 when he was MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
That is because many Joo Chiat residents prefer to go online to seek help from their MP.
Mr Chong said he spends about an hour replying to Facebook messages and emails from residents every morning and added that he will work hard in the next five years to connect with all of Joo Chiat's residents.
He also urged his opponent from the Workers' Party, Mr Yee Jenn Jong, to take up the Non-Constituency MP post.
Mr Chong said: "It's not my say to decide for the Workers' Party on this. But I would encourage him to take up the NCMP position if he was offered because this would enable him to have a better platform to air his views. After all, his party chairman Sylvia Lim was an NCMP at the last Parliament. And she had raised her profile during that time."
Meanwhile, the youngest MP for Marine Parade GRC, 27-year old Tin Pei Ling, said more needs to be done to engage the young and to listen to what they have to say. She said this should be done through face-to-face interactions and the use of social media.
Responding to questions regarding the PAP pledge on change, Ms Tin said: "We need to empower them by giving them space as well as the resources for them to do so. I think this is something that we have been doing but we can do it better, to continue to reach out to more young people. And not just student leaders, but down to every young resident for example, in MacPherson."
Ms Tin was speaking to reporters before she began her first Meet-the-People session at MacPherson on Monday evening at Aljunied Crescent, which is part of the MacPherson ward she is helming.
She said the case loads in MacPherson is higher than when she was helping out in Ulu Pandan previously. She has a feel of the broad-ranging cases in MacPherson and is confident of working with the people.
Many who turn up are low income families looking for financial assistance and help with securing rental flats.
The 27 year old has been shadowing former MP Matthias Yao for about a month before this.
One of the residents in the area, Maimunah Jaffar, said: "I come to ask for a rental flat, on behalf of my mum, then for me. I'm very confident of her that she can help the residents here."
Another resident, Meera Manja, said: "Personally I think she's ok, we expect her to help us, who are needy."
-CNA/ac
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 09 May 2011 2225 hrs
SINGAPORE: The election is over and it is back to work for those elected. Several veteran and new PAP MPs held their first Meet-the-People session on Monday evening.
At the Joo Chiat single ward, MP Charles Chong saw only about 10 residents, compared to an average of 40 when he was MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
That is because many Joo Chiat residents prefer to go online to seek help from their MP.
Mr Chong said he spends about an hour replying to Facebook messages and emails from residents every morning and added that he will work hard in the next five years to connect with all of Joo Chiat's residents.
He also urged his opponent from the Workers' Party, Mr Yee Jenn Jong, to take up the Non-Constituency MP post.
Mr Chong said: "It's not my say to decide for the Workers' Party on this. But I would encourage him to take up the NCMP position if he was offered because this would enable him to have a better platform to air his views. After all, his party chairman Sylvia Lim was an NCMP at the last Parliament. And she had raised her profile during that time."
Meanwhile, the youngest MP for Marine Parade GRC, 27-year old Tin Pei Ling, said more needs to be done to engage the young and to listen to what they have to say. She said this should be done through face-to-face interactions and the use of social media.
Responding to questions regarding the PAP pledge on change, Ms Tin said: "We need to empower them by giving them space as well as the resources for them to do so. I think this is something that we have been doing but we can do it better, to continue to reach out to more young people. And not just student leaders, but down to every young resident for example, in MacPherson."
Ms Tin was speaking to reporters before she began her first Meet-the-People session at MacPherson on Monday evening at Aljunied Crescent, which is part of the MacPherson ward she is helming.
She said the case loads in MacPherson is higher than when she was helping out in Ulu Pandan previously. She has a feel of the broad-ranging cases in MacPherson and is confident of working with the people.
Many who turn up are low income families looking for financial assistance and help with securing rental flats.
The 27 year old has been shadowing former MP Matthias Yao for about a month before this.
One of the residents in the area, Maimunah Jaffar, said: "I come to ask for a rental flat, on behalf of my mum, then for me. I'm very confident of her that she can help the residents here."
Another resident, Meera Manja, said: "Personally I think she's ok, we expect her to help us, who are needy."
-CNA/ac
